This article was written by our friends at Fit Fox Tribe. We encourage you to check out their website here and follow them on Facebook and Instagram!

97 million Americans age 12 and up are using it!

A so-called benign recreational drug available everywhere!

Over 30 countries allow its recreational or medicinal use!

What Are We Talking About? – Marijuana

Call it Marijuana, Dope, Weed, Herb, Ganja, or Skunk. It is all the same. A celebrity plant people can’t get enough of!But can Marijuana help those with anxiety?

First off, a cannabis plant has over 80 active compounds called cannabinoids. The two most researched cannabinoids aredelta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD). Marijuana refers to dried crushed flower tops used to smoke. Flower tops are said to contain the highest concentrations of THC. Once cannabinoids enter into the body, they bind to cannabinoid receptors. This binding regulates physiological processes such as appetite, pain-sensation, memory, and mood.

Advertisement

THC makes you feel euphoric! It is a psychoactive drug that acts on the mind. CBD is less psychoactive, and instead, researchers believe it’s involved in brain signaling. A few of its most dramatic benefits include:

With these benefits, one would never imagine that 16% of all substance abuse treatment admissions in the US are cannabis related; or that over 4 million Americans qualify for a cannabis substance use disorder (CUD). Alarming!!

Lastly, you get the munchies! Although most of these effects are short-lived some cognition changes can last up to 12 hours. Long term effects include five times increased the risk of Depression, risk of Addiction and risk of Disruptive Mood Disorders.

Most alarming is that Anxiety is the most commonly reported effect. Over 20-30% of cannabis users experience anxiety and panic attacks. That risk is crazy high!

The Research Linking Anxiety and Marijuana

PROs

A recent study divided 48 participants into 2 groups. Half had Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), and the other half were healthy. Each half was further split into either taking a placebo or CBD. All groups had to perform the Simulated Public Speaking Test.

Normally SAD patients do poorly on the test. But those that were treated with CBD excelled. Their anxiety was reduced, cognitive impairment and discomfort when speaking also subsided. Their scores were the same as healthy individuals! That is great news!

Another group of 48 individuals were conditioned (Pavlovian style) first to receive shocks and second conditioned to forget them (a process called extinction). They measured skin conductance and recorded shock expectancy responses. Those treated with CBD after extinction were able to forget about the painful shocks. Those treated with CBD before extinction found it reduced their anxious responses to shock.

CONTRAs

A huge meta-analysis, involving 31 studies and 112,000 individuals set out to look for the association between anxiety and cannabis use.They searched for articles on cannabis use, anxiety symptoms and any Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD) as classified by the Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Both cannabis use and CUD were positively associated with anxiety.

*There is a strong positive association between anxiety disorder and cannabis usage.

Another systematic review regarding cannabis and anxiety found three specific associations; regular cannabis users commonly have anxiety disorders. Those with classified anxiety disorders have a high frequency of cannabis use, and it is still unclear if cannabis increases the risk of developing long-lasting anxiety disorders.

Advertisement

Since anxiety and depression are often seen together, we take a look at one meta-analysis on cannabis and depression.This literature review involved 14 papers, 76 058 participants and were all longitudinal studies (participants were followed for a long period).All of the studies reported heavy cannabis use was highly associated with an increased risk of developing depression. Yikes! Scary!

When it comes to anxiety marijuana would not be my first choice. Its risk is higher than its benefit. Each of you who are thinking of using it as a treatment, please consult your ND. There are other ways to cope with your anxiety! Meditation, Yoga, join a running group, participating in a boxing gym, eat lean, healthy protein, etc. Get out of your mind and into your body. Allow yourself to boost Dopamine and Serotonin, your feel-good hormones naturally!

Hope this article helped demystify some of the myths surrounding marijuana.

*Pavlovian style: is classic conditioning method used by Pavlov. A learning process that occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired; a response that is at first elicited by the second stimulus is eventually elicited by the first stimulus alone.

Weinberger AH, Platt J, Goodwin RD. Is cannabis use associated with an increased risk of onset and persistence of alcohol use disorders? A three-year prospective study among adults in the United States. Drug Alcohol Depend. February 2016. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.01.014.

Image Source:

Our newest fat-burning dessert recipe book just released and we’ve reserved a free digital copy for you! Click the button and simply let me know where you want us to email it and you’ll have it in your inbox today…

A Special Message From Our Founders

Most health problems can often be resolved with a good diet, exercise and
a few powerful superfoods. In fact, we’ve gone through hundreds of scientific papers and ‘superfood’ claims and only selected the top 5% that are:

Backed by scientific research

Affordable

Simple to use

We then put this valuable information into the Superfood as Medicine Guide: a 100+ page guide on the 7 most powerful superfoods available, including:

This site is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice, legal advice, or professional services. If you feel that you have a medical problem, you should seek the advice of your physician or health care practitioner. For additional information please see our full disclaimer and privacy information and terms of service.